Repealing or Replacing the ACA’s Provisions: How Would Adults with Disabilities Fare?

Proposed reforms to the ACA would likely mean that fewer people with disabilities would have coverage at all. For those who did, a smaller number would have the comprehensive coverage necessary to meet their health care needs, and their coverage would cost more. However, neither current economic models nor evidence from studies on the effect of the ACA conclusively predict what consequences health reforms would have on the employment status of individuals with disabilities.

In this brief, we focus on the effects the proposed policy changes could have on individuals with disabilities and individuals with chronic conditions that could become disabling. We begin by discussing the likely effects on coverage and access to care, and review the potential effects the coverage changes would have on employment.